Chick-Fil-A Is The First Fast Food Chain To Add This Superfood To The Menu

Chick-fil-A has announced that a new side will take the place of coleslaw on the menu for 2016. The change will mark a first for the fast food industry, as the chicken giant begins offering a superfood side to customers that has never been offered in a fast food setting before. The move comes as the chain attempts to tap into the market of calorie counting and health conscious consumers, particularly the “mom” group that prefers salad to the traditional french fry side.

According to Business Insider, in 2016, Chick-fil-A will be offering a superfood side that is only 140 calories in a first-of-its-kind move in the fast food industry. Chick-fil-A will be the first fast food establishment to offer kale on the menu. The kale will come in the form of a hand-chopped salad that features both kale and broccolini. The salad will also feature dried sour cherries and roasted nuts, including walnuts, almonds, and pecans. The salad will be tossed in a maple vinaigrette dressing.

More and more fast food places adding superfood options. Chick-fil-a now has a kale salad. #9newsmornings pic.twitter.com/mci99HExIT

— 9NEWS Denver (@9NEWS) January 7, 2016

The announcement comes shortly after Chick-fil-A informed customers that coleslaw would be leaving the menu. Although many customers were sad to see the Chick-fil-A coleslaw go, many seem excited about the new superfood kale salad. In honor of coleslaw leaving the menu, Chick-fil-A offered up their “secret” coleslaw recipe to customers who couldn’t bare to see it go.

“To all the cabbage lovers out there, we feel you. To make the loss a little easier to bear, we’re releasing, for the first time, the original recipe to make at home… even on Sunday.”

With coleslaw leaving the menu, the new kale salad will have a new home. Many health advocates are praising the decision of Chick-fil-A to offer a healthier side item to health-conscious customers noting that the salad will have just 140 calories compared to the 400 calories in the chain’s waffle fries. The move comes as Chick-fil-A focuses on efforts to make the fast food dining experience more enjoyable to families, particularly moms.

The chain recently announced they would be offering “Mom’s (or Dad’s) valet.” The parent valet system was created to make eating out easier for families with children. As the Inquisitr previously reported, the “mom’s valet” is a service that will ensure a table is ready for a family when they enter the restaurant. From all the right amounts of condiments to a table fully prepped with high chairs and drinks, the valet service takes customer service to a whole new level for family fast-food dining.

“When a mother, or father, enters the drive-thru, they can request ‘Mom’s Valet.’ After they do so, the Chick-fil-A staff jumps into action. Not only do they take your order, they find and set a table, put out the desired amount of condiments, fill the drinks, and place the appropriate amount of high chairs at the table.”

Essentially the mother, or father, can order food through the drive-thru before entering the store to eat. The Chick-fil-A employee will get all the appropriate information from the parent to ensure a table is ready when the family enters that meets their needs.

Kale is the new cole slaw– at least at Chick-fil-A! https://t.co/g5dePnx0L5

— NBCWashington (@nbcwashington) January 7, 2016

Therefore, it should come as no surprise that a company so focused on a family-friendly dining experience would also go to great lengths to ensure their menu also meets the needs of a variety of customers. The kale superfood side is meant to do just that. The meal will target those who want a lower calorie fast-food option as the company plans to advertise the kale salad with the grilled chicken nuggets.

“The company will suggest pairing the side with an eight-count order of grilled nuggets for a healthy 280-calorie meal.”

The new kale salad is expected to hit Chick-fil-A stores on January 18, 2016.

What do you think about Chick-fil-A’s move to kale salad from coleslaw? Will you miss the coleslaw or are you looking forward to a kale fast food offering?

[Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]